Qbittorrent Vs Utorrent
qBittorrent vs. uTorrent: Which Is Better (and Safer) in 2021?
Choosing a torrenting client can be overwhelming — there are so many out there, each with its benefits and drawbacks. Even some of the most popular clients aren’t safe bets as they have a history of injecting malware and displaying inappropriate ads.
Testing various programs is the best way to figure out which offers the right mix of features, but that takes a lot of effort. To save you the frustration, I spent some time carefully comparing qBittorrent and uTorrent, two of the most downloaded torrent clients.
To find out which is better, I carefully tested their speed, usability, safety, and features. Let’s compare the two clients in detail so you can determine which one is a better fit for you.
Warning: Even if torrenting is legal in your country, you could get into trouble for accidentally downloading copyrighted material — unless you use a reliable VPN. A VPN protects you from legal trouble by hiding your IP address and allowing you to access files from qBittorrent or uTorrent securely and privately.
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Quick Overview: qBittorrent vs. uTorrent
Of all the BitTorrent clients out there, qBittorrent and uTorrent are among the most popular. While they share lots of settings and similarities, including embedded trackers, DHT, PEX, NAT-PMP, UPnP, LPD, IPv6 protection, and RSS support, they’ve also got their differences.
qBittorrent — Compatible with Windows/Mac/Linux
qBittorrent is a free, open source BitTorrent client with a clean interface and fast speeds. It doesn’t display ads, supports sequential downloading so you can stream while downloading, can automatically add torrents, preloads metadata, and allows you to set several limits to control things like how much bandwidth you use and the hours the client can operate.
uTorrent — Compatible with Windows/Mac/Linux/Android
uTorrent is also free, but it’s proprietary software that’s ad-supported, so you’ll have to deal with banner ads unless you pay to upgrade or use a VPN to hide them. You also don’t have any access to its code to see for yourself that it’s safe. On the plus side, it has a built-in search engine, uses little RAM so you can keep using your computer for other things, supports file prioritization, allows for super-seeding, and has an Android app. There’s also uTorrent Web for torrenting straight from your favorite browser.
qBittorrent
uTorrent
Free
Yes
(but with limited features)
Fast torrenting speeds
Easy to use
Simplified GUI
Ads
No
(upgrade to remove ads or use a VPN)
IP filtering
Port forwarding
Cross-platform
(Windows, Mac, Linux)
(Windows, Mac, Linux, Android)
CLI
Manage torrents remotely
Supports bandwidth scheduling
RSS (Broadcatching)
Plugin support
Embedded tracker
Proxy server,, SOCKS4, SOCKS5,, SOCKS4, SOCKS5
Speed – qBittorrent Outperforms Every Time
I conducted several tests with video and audio files, and while each client offered similar download times, qBittorrent came out with faster speeds each time.
Your download speeds are determined by your internet connection speed, the number of seeds a torrent has, and any speed limits imposed by the client.
There are also some things you can do to speed up your downloads:
Enabling port forwarding improves torrenting performance by allowing you to connect to more seeds. Rather than just connecting with peers that your client finds, you can also connect with peers that find you. Both qBittorrent and uTorrent support port forwarding, so I activated it before starting my speed tests.
Some ISPs throttle your speeds, especially when they see that you’re doing high-data activities like torrenting. You can get around this by using a VPN — these programs encrypt your connection so that your ISP can’t see what you’re doing. I use ExpressVPN because it’s the fastest and safest VPN I’ve tested.
I conducted one of my speed tests by downloading the same 163 MB AVI video file using each client. For context, my internet download speed was 49. 5 Mbps, and I ran each program separately so that the apps could have full use of my computer’s resources.
You can see the download on qBittorrent here:
With an average download speed of 1. 4 MiB/s, qBittorrent downloaded this file faster
There were 3 seeds available at the time of download, and qBittorrent downloaded the file in 1 minute and 53 seconds, with an average download speed of 1. 4 MiB/s. Considering how few sources were available, this download completed faster than I expected.
You can see the download on uTorrent here:
uTorrent’s average download speed of 859. 9 kB/s was noticeably slower
There were 4 seeds for a short while at the beginning of the download before one dropped off. Despite this, uTorrent took 3 minutes and 2 seconds to download the same file, with an average download speed of 859. 9 kB/s. While this download was also relatively fast, it still took more than a minute longer than qBittorrent.
You can see the download on uTorrent Web here:
uTorrent Web doesn’t provide file stats, but it did finish the download in about 2 minutes
uTorrent Web doesn’t provide as many details as its desktop version does, so there’s no way to tell what its average download speed was during my test. However, I watched it, and I saw it reach speeds of up to 1. 9 MiB/s, so it definitely was downloading as fast as qBittorrent. The fact that it took a total of 2 minutes and 10 seconds to download the file also supports this. This was faster than I expected, but still not quite as fast as qBittorrent.
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Ease – qBittorrent Wins
When it comes to ease of use, qBittorrent is the clear winner. I ran into a little runaround with its download link, but after that, qBittorrent’s installation process was straightforward, whereas I felt like uTorrent tried to trick me into agreeing to bloatware I didn’t need. I also found that qBittorrent’s interface was much easier to work with.
Downloading qBittorrent and uTorrent
Both clients faced issued with the downloading process, but qBittorrent’s weren’t as severe.
I was a bit surprised to see a rather dated-looking page when I arrived at qBittorrent’s website. However, the page was clean and easy to navigate, with the download link prominently displayed at the top.
This page doesn’t look modern, but it’s easy to follow
On the downloads page, you’ll find information about the client’s public key, followed by download links for various operating systems. It’s compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, and a few smaller operating systems like Haiku OS and FreeBSD. I liked that there were also mirror links available; this helps ensure there’s always a valid download link available.
You’ll have no trouble finding the right download link for your platform
As I’m a Windows user, I clicked the first link, which I thought would automatically download the right version for my computer. Instead, I was taken to another download page where I had to choose my download once again — this was repetitive and unnecessary.
It’s frustrating that you have to go through two pages before real download links appear
Hint: If you’re a Windows user and don’t know which version to download, type “about” in the Windows search bar and select “about your PC”. You’ll see your system type displayed with other info about your machine.
I found uTorrent’s website to be much more modern-looking than qBittorrent’s. I was immediately presented with a button to download uTorrent Web, followed by uTorrent Classic.
I like uTorrent’s modern-looking homepage much better than qBittorrent’s
I clicked uTorrent Classic, and instead of heading to a download page, I had to choose which version I wanted. There were three paid versions offering things from no ads to premium support, but I went with the free, basic version.
I don’t see enough value in uTorrent’s paid options
As the next page promised that my download would start automatically, I thought it was going to be smooth sailing. However, I ran into a huge problem: The download would not start. I tried several times, but it seems that uTorrent’s server was down. I had to try again the next day to finally download the file. This was an instance where it would have been nice to have access to mirror download links, but uTorrent had none.
On the plus side, uTorrent automatically downloaded the right installation file for my operating system (it’s compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux), so I didn’t have to choose myself.
Installing qBittorrent and uTorrent
qBittorrent is the obvious winner for its streamlined installation process. It took only a couple of minutes, and there were no devious tactics. Utorrent, on the other hand, took longer to install and tried to install bloatware.
Installing qBittorrent was very straightforward. After choosing my installation language, I had the option to choose what components to install. Everything on the list was standard, and I didn’t see anything sneaky that I had to uncheck.
Actually, I found it nice that qBittorrent had already unchecked the two options I would have done myself: creating a desktop icon that will clog up my home screen and starting the program on Windows startup (I prefer to launch these types of programs only when I need them and only when I’m protected by a VPN).
All of these components are exactly what I expected to see
From there, I only needed to choose my install location. The program requires just 137 MB of space and took about 15 seconds to finish the installation process. When it was done, I could click to immediately launch the app.
After uTorrent’s shaky download start, I was hoping for a smoother installation. Unfortunately, the client didn’t come through.
The first screen was a warning about scammers charging for the company’s free torrenting client. I’m not sure how this warning was supposed to help me, as I would have already paid for the free version had I downloaded the client elsewhere.
This warning would be more helpful on the uTorrent homepage
The next two screens prompted me to agree to uTorrent’s terms and conditions. This was normal and expected, but the next screens weren’t. I was dismayed to see uTorrent trying to sneak in bloatware under the guise of an optional companion.
It was very disappointed to see bloatware bundled with this installation
As if that wasn’t bad enough, uTorrent then tried to push a new browser on me. Worse, it appeared I only had the option to go back to the previous bloatware screen or accept the browser. I really had to look to find the tiny checkbox to opt out of the new software.
uTorrent tried to make it more difficult to bypass this installation
At this point, I felt that the installation process had already taken too long, so I was not happy to see further installation options broken up into two screens. Nonetheless, these options were safe, and the installation was finally complete 20 seconds later.
Thankfully, the rest of the installation process was straight-forward
Hint: If you’re not in the habit of always having a VPN running, be sure to disable the “start uTorrent when Windows starts up” option during this part of the installation process. This will allow you to start the program only after activating your VPN. If you don’t already have a VPN, I suggest trying ExpressVPN— it’s safe and affordable, and you can try it risk-free with its money-back guarantee.
Using qBittorrent and uTorrent
Both clients offered clean interfaces and loads of features, but qBittorrent was better because it was ad-free. uTorrent’s GUI was clogged with ads, and it tried to make me pay to remove them.
I was pleased to see that qBittorrent has a lightweight and minimalistic interface. If you’re new to P2P sharing, you’re not going to be overwhelmed by too many buttons or commands.
I really like how clean and uncluttered qBittorrent’s interface is
At the top of the window, you’ll find a control bar to add, delete, play, pause, and prioritize torrents. On the left side, you can quickly locate and sort torrents using the status, categories, tags, and trackers menu. The center of the screen is where you’ll find your torrents list. When you click one, you’ll see stats populate in the area below it. This is helpful for seeing how large a torrent is, how fast it’s downloading, and how much longer it will take to complete.
I found uTorrent to have a similar clean feel, and it also had a handy control bar and various menus. However, it was hard to ignore that uTorrent also had two large ads at the top and side of the screen.
It’s hard to miss the large ads on uTorrent’s interface
Aside from being unsightly, ads can be dangerous because hackers can easily inject them with malicious programs that download in the background without your knowledge. While you can disable ads by upgrading to a paid plan, I have a better solution: Use a VPN with an ad blocker. I connected to CyberGhost with its ad blocker enabled, and it blocked every ad — I couldn’t even click on them.
Don’t pay to remove uTorrent ads — use CyberGhost instead
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In addition to the ads, uTorrent further reminds you that it has paid options with a link nestled into its menu on the left. If you’re wondering whether a paid version is worth it, take a look at what you’ll get:
Ad-Free
No ads
Less bandwidth usage
Premium support
Pro offers the above and:
Security against viruses and other malware
Play files while they’re downloading
Pro + VPN offers the above and:
CyberGhost VPN subscription
Personally, I’d suggest that you stick with the free Basic plan and purchase a VPN on your own. You won’t enjoy instant streaming, but you won’t need it if torrents download in minutes. (Also qBittorrent includes this feature for free; I discuss it in the Features section). CyberGhost is a great VPN and will give you valuable ad blocking and security features, plus here’s a secret: You’ll pay less for it when you use this coupon.
When it came to adding torrents and monitoring their progress, I found that each client offered a similar experience. Neither was laggy, but I felt that qBittorrent was easier to use since its functions were more prominently displayed and the interface looked cleaner without ads.
In terms of settings, both clients offer plenty. Whether you’re a beginner or experienced with P2P, you’ll find lots of ways to customize the clients to your needs. You can have the clients launch when you start your computer, have updates automatically install, and set bandwidth limits. You’ll find qBittorrent’s full list of settings by clicking Tools > Options (or clicking the cog icon on the control bar), while uTorrent’s can be found by clicking Options > Preferences (or clicking the cog at the far end of the control bar).
A nice feature you’ll find with qBittorrent that its competitor lacks: email alerts when torrents finish. This is helpful for tracking torrent progress when you’re away from your computer.
One place where uTorrent comes out on top is its inclusion of a tutorial button for torrenting newbies and a link to its forums under the Help menu. Forums are an easy and convenient way to get help and interact with other users. qBittorrent has its own forums, too, but you won’t find a link for them in its client.
Safety – qBittorrent is More Trustworthy Overall
qBittorrent wins again when it comes to security and safety. Both clients have a lot going for them, but in the end, qBittorrent’s lack of ads and open source code offers enormous transparency.
Software license — qBittorrent wins with its open source code
qBittorrent easily comes out in front of uTorrent here — all of its code is open source, so anyone can review it to make sure it only offers what the company promises. This means you don’t have to worry about qBittorrent embedding malware, trackers, or other dangerous code.
uTorrent is proprietary software; this means it doesn’t share its code with the public. The problem with this is that it’s impossible to verify which privacy and security features it uses and whether it’s hiding any malicious code.
Ads — qBittorrent wins because it has no ads
qBittorrent is clearly the superior client when it comes to ads because it doesn’t have any.
As explained earlier, ads aren’t just intrusive, they can also be dangerous because they may contain trackers or malware. They can also be inappropriate, as many uTorrent users have pointed out over the years — they sometimes advertise dating sites and other adult-oriented services.
uTorrent gives you the option to remove ads, but you have to pay for it. Rather than pay the company for its bad behavior, consider using a VPN instead. During my tests, CyberGhost removed all of uTorrent’s annoying ads.
Software updates — both stay up to date
BitTorrent clients aren’t renowned for their safety. However, I found that both clients provide regular updates to patch security flaws, implement new features, and ensure you’re using the best possible version of the program. I dug through release reports and can confirm that each client updates several times a year, and sometimes as often as every month.
Security protocols — both offer equal protection
Both apps use PE and MSE protocols, extensions that enhance confidentiality and privacy by making it difficult to identify your BitTorrent traffic. When an ISP can’t tell you’re torrenting, it’s less likely it will throttle your speed and bandwidth.
qBittorrent and uTorrent also both have an encryption setting. When you enable it, you’ll only connect to peers who have also enabled the setting.
While it’s called encryption, what it actually does is obfuscate — it makes your torrenting traffic look like regular web traffic so that your ISP won’t throttle your speeds. If your ISP cares to individually review your traffic, it will see what you’re actually doing.
If you truly want to keep third parties like ISPs, movie studios, and even the government from seeing what you’re doing, you need the real encryption that’s provided by a VPN. Top VPNs like ExpressVPN offer military-grade encryption that even the world’s fastest supercomputers can’t break, so your online data, personal details, and location are always a secret.
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Security breaches — both resolved their issues
When it comes to security breaches, I was happy to see that there have not been any significant problems reported with either client. However, each company has had small problems that do not appear to have been widely exploited because they were fixed in time.
qBittorrent had a minor bug in 2017 concerning its WebUI function. In a security report, developers noted that users of qBittorrent v3. 3. 12 or lower could be susceptible to CSRF attacks where hackers could make changes to a user’s tasks, including adding downloads or uploads to the task list. This issue was immediately resolved by updating to a newer version of the software, and torrenters who didn’t use the optional WebUI functionality were not affected at all.
In 2018, uTorrent’s Classic and Web apps experienced a similar problem. A security researcher found a flaw that could allow third parties to control a torrenter’s system through the same interface that allows users to access their apps remotely. If a hacker had been able to breach a system, he could have executed malicious code. uTorrent created a patch and urged users to upgrade to its newest version soon after learning about the exploit.
Proxy servers — both support this feature
You can set up proxy servers on qBittorrent and uTorrent. The setup process is similar for both and easy, and they both support,, SOCKS4, and SOCK5.
Proxy servers allow you to hide your IP address so that third parties can’t figure out where you are. This is helpful for keeping other users from tracking you down and avoiding infringement notices if you accidentally download copyrighted content.
But remember that a proxy only works with the site or app you’re using. Your internet connection itself isn’t protected, so your ISP can still see and track your online activity. To protect your connection from start to finish, no matter what you do online, you have to use a VPN. My top recommendation is ExpressVPN — it’s fast and secure, and you can try it out risk-free because it’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Trackers — both have embedded trackers, but private trackers are out
Both qBittorrent and uTorrent have an embedded tracker for seeding your own torrents.
However, when it comes to using private trackers, you’ll find that most are banning both clients. There are two primary reasons for this: the private trackers fear that these clients may leak their private passkeys or expose their users’ IP information.
Many people tout the benefits of private trackers, including access to more content and especially rare media, but most private trackers have strict rules for their use that make them impractical for many torrenters. In addition to dictating which BitTorrent clients you may use, private trackers require you to maintain a high seed-to-leech ratio and use your own IP address. The latter is of great concern because anyone who sees your IP address can track your activity, pinpoint to your location, and even figure out who you are. It is much safer to use public trackers, as well as encrypt your connection and hide your IP address with a VPN
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IP Filters — both have them, but they’re not useful
qBittorrent and uTorrent both have an IP filter setting. The purpose of this setting is to block the IP addresses of users you don’t wish to engage with. This may include users who maliciously upload corrupt files or who report other torrenters for possible copyright infringement.
However, with the advent of proxy servers and VPNs, anyone can mask their IP addresses, including the people you may want to avoid. A much better alternative to IP filtering is to use a VPN yourself — no one will be able to see your IP address and all your online activities will be kept private.
Features – qBittorrent Wins Again
qBittorrent and uTorrent share a lot of features, including file prioritization, NAT traversal, selective downloading, and sequential downloading, but in the end, qBittorrent edged out its competition thanks to better implementation of its features and the fact that it’s 100% free.
Below, I’ll discuss some of the more convenient features that all beneficial to all torrent users, no matter your skill or usage level.
Bandwidth Limits and Scheduling
Both clients allow you to set bandwidth limits and schedule when those limits are enforced. These features help ensure that your downloads don’t cause your internet to slow down at inopportune times.
Scheduling lets you control each client’s bandwidth usage throughout the day
During my tests, I set each client to limit the amount of downloading that would occur during the day when I was using the internet for work and allowed for unlimited downloading at night when everyone was asleep. These settings worked flawlessly.
Immediate Playback
uTorrent offers this option with its paid Pro option, but qBittorrent includes it for free. With immediate playback, you can start watching your content while it’s still torrenting. I tried the feature with qBittorrent on a couple of movies, and it worked with no issues. While I didn’t find this feature very useful because most of my downloads completed quickly, I can see the benefit for people who may have slower internet connections.
Remote Management
Both qBittorrent and uTorrent offer remote management, with qBittorrent calling it WebUI and uTorrent calling it Remote. Remote torrent management allows you to add, cancel, and pause your torrents from anywhere you have an internet connection. This lets you control your downloads and set new priorities, even when you’re away from your computer.
Setting up remote management with each client was a straightforward process, and I was able to start and stop torrents as promised. Between the two clients, I was happier with uTorrent because it also offered mobile apps in addition to its web access. Its Android app was clean and simple, and I could view and manage my torrents with just a few taps.
RSS Feed
qBittorrent and uTorrent both include this helpful feature and make it easily accessible within their respective clients. You do have to do a little work to set up rules for downloading, but after that, the clients take care of everything else.
With RSS feed support, you can automatically download torrents that have been added to your favorite sites. As soon as a new title is added to your RSS feed, your BitTorrent client will add it to your torrents list.
Torrent Creation Tools
With qBittorrent and uTorrent’s torrent creation tools, you can create a torrent file in just a couple of minutes.
While many people use BitTorrent clients to download files, you might find yourself in a situation where you want to share a file instead. After creating mine with each client, I uploaded them to The Pirate Bay, added them to the index, and had some colleagues try downloading them — we were successful with both clients’ output.
Search Function
qBittorrent and uTorrent both have search features built into their respective clients, but they each work a little differently. Having the ability to search for torrents from within a BitTorrent client saves time and reduces your exposure to torrent search engines that might be plagued by ads.
qBittorrent requires that you install Python to use its built-in search engine. Once you do this, you can choose which search engines you’ll comb whenever you conduct a search. If you want to add more, you can install additional plugs. Right now, qBittorrent has more than 40 plugins for various popular torrenting search engines.
uTorrent doesn’t require any additional installations to use its built-in search feature, but the search engine isn’t great without some configuration. That’s because its default setting relies on Google to return results. This means you may receive lots of irrelevant results, such as the IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes listings I got when I searched for a recent blockbuster movie. Under advanced features, you can change the settings to use your favorite torrent search engines instead.
Web Interface
Between the two clients, only uTorrent offers a web interface that allows you to download and play torrents right from your browser.
Downloading uTorrent Web is a simple process, but installation is plagued with the same bloatware issues as the traditional client. Once you’ve completed the installation process, you’ll see uTorrent Web operating in your system tray. When you double-click it, the app will launch in your default browser. It’s compatible with Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, Internet Explorer, and Edge.
The interface is rather simple. If you’re a new user, you’ll see a search field and a button to add torrents at the center of the page; links to torrent activity, BitTorrent Speed, and TronTV on the left, and a huge video player (ads) at the bottom of the page.
uTorrent Web is extremely stripped-down and lightweight
When you add a torrent, the center of the page changes to your torrents list. Like qBittorrent’s and uTorrent’s traditional apps, you can add torrents to uTorrent Web by clicking a button or simply dragging and dropping the torrent files from your download bar.
All your active torrents appear on your activity list
One of uTorrent’s most touted features is that it lets you play your torrented files before they’ve finished downloading. I was unable to play my first two torrents (AVI and MP4 files), even after they were finished downloading. Instead, I received a message that “this file type cannot be played”.
I constantly saw this error message, and it took several tries to get around it
On my third try, I was able to play an AVC file, but only after 56% of the file downloaded (I received the same annoying error message about the file type when I tried any earlier). I deleted the torrent and tried again, and it let me play starting at 8% this time. Unfortunately, this inconsistency with playback means uTorrent Web is not a solid choice for instant watching.
When it came to speed, I also found uTorrent Web to be somewhat disappointing. It took about 14 minutes to download a 2GB file that had over 850 seeds. It took qBittorrent about 5 minutes and uTorrent about 8 minutes to download the same file. During another test, uTorrent Web downloaded faster than uTorrent, but qBittorrent was still faster.
In all, I found that using uTorrent Web was not a satisfactory experience. Instant playback might be beneficial for some, but uTorrent’s consistency in operation and speed was lacking.
And the Overall Winner is… qBittorrent
After a thorough review of each client’s speeds, ease of use, safety, and features, I find that qBittorrent offers a better overall experience.
Speed: Neither client limits speeds, but qBittorrent was faster every time.
Ease of use: Both clients were easy enough to use, but qBittorrent was more straightforward during download and installation (and it didn’t try to sneak in bloatware).
Safety: Both clients offer several security options, but qBittorrent’s open source code offers complete transparency.
Features: Both clients have a range of features, but qBittorrent comes out on top for its better (and free) offerings.
For all of its benefits, qBittorrent does have a few drawbacks. Its website was offputting at first because it seemed so outdated, and downloading the program also took longer than necessary due to repetitive pages. I also had to do a little work to determine which version to choose. If it invested in some web design here, I’m sure the process could be greatly improved.
At the same time, I can’t say that uTorrent was bad. It’s very similar and just as reliable as qBittorrent. But limiting its features on the free version and displaying ads were uTorrent’s most significant letdowns. It frustrated me that I couldn’t improve my security without paying, and I think it’s unfair that it holds users’ security over them by trying to get them to upgrade to the paid version.
qBittorrent Advantages
uTorrent Advantages
Fast, easy download and setup
More remote management solutions
Faster download speeds
More help for new torrent users
Transparent open source code
uTorrent Web for torrenting in your browser
Better search options via plugins
Android app available
qBittorrent Disadvantages
uTorrent Disadvantages
Dated-looking website
Tries to add bloatware during installation
No web-based interface
Ads on the free version
No mobile apps
Must upgrade to unlock all features
Proprietary software, so no open source code
How a VPN Can Improve Torrenting
BitTorrent clients are not generally safe, but one way to make these apps safer is by using a VPN.
When your IP address is revealed, you face many risks. All of your internet traffic can be monitored by your internet service provider (ISP), who may be compelled to work with copyright holders if you accidentally download copyrighted material. If you’re caught, you could face fines or worse. A VPN protects you by encrypting your internet connection and routing you through a new server. This keeps anyone from spying on your online activity and assigns a new IP address so that no one can track you down.
VPNs can also help you defeat website blocks. This is something that some ISPs do to keep you from accessing torrents. They do it because torrenting uses up a lot of data, and they want to control how much you use. When you use a VPN, your ISP can’t see what you’re doing, so it can’t stop you from accessing sites you want.
Another way ISPs can affect your torrenting is by throttling your speed. When they see that you’re doing something that uses a lot of data, they can restrict your connection. This results in big slowdowns. A VPN helps you defeat speed and data throttling by hiding your activity — your ISP won’t know what you’re doing when you go online. Many VPNs also provide access to P2P-optimized servers for even better performance.
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11 Best uTorrent Alternatives to Download Torrent Files in 2021
The article will help you find the best uTorrent alternatives. You can refer to the list and choose the best alternative that suits your requirements and needs. Keep reading to know more about the alternatives. uTorrent is among the most used and the best torrent to download. Using this platform you can easily download whatever you want to from the internet easily. uTorrent has been leading the market for a long time now, but after it was taken over by BitTorrent the user base started to decline rapidly. The interface was not easy anymore. whereas other competitors offer many effective tools for a very less this article, we have shared some of the best uTorrent alternatives that you can try. So without any further delay, let’s take a look at the best replacement of uTorrent that you can opt 11 uTorrent Alternatives to Try in 2021Below are some of the best alternatives to uTorrent in 2021. Scroll through the list below to find every necessary detail about the software including features and offers. 1. While looking for the best uTorrent Alternatives we have found a great platform for you. lets you easily download all kinds of files within a few minutes. The reason why we have kept this software in the first position is that it offers a secured cloud platform where you can keep all your downloaded files without even affecting the space on your interface of the software is very simple, you would feel like using a cloud platform. But unlike cloud platforms, you can easily access all your files without the internet too. The best part about this alternative to uTorrent is that it doesn’t require any kind of download or installation; you can simply operate from the website itself. For using this alternative you need to create an account and that’s it. You are good to download anything from the internet. 2. qBittorrentThis torrent client was ideally made as a replacement for uTorrent. This is an open-source, lightweight, and completely free-to-use platform. Other than this there are no ads that can interrupt the process. The interface is very easy and brief, you can easily understand the work of tools and the details mentioned. Whether you are a beginner or experienced you can use this torrent client to download your favorite files from the internet easily. Using this torrent client you can download any torrent, search torrent, control bandwidth, add filters and do a lot more. Though you would not find the advanced tools in this torrent client, what else you can expect from a free alternative to wnload Now3. VuzeVuze is one of the best uTorrent alternatives as it offers the easiest user interface for its users. This platform is a decent choice in place of uTorrent. The torrent client not only offers a simple and neat interface but also offers many other features which can help you in easing the process of downloading. The features list includes an HD video player, bandwidth management tool, and RSS updates like options that you can moreover also supports magnet links too. This is heavy in resources and complex clients that can be tough for the new users to adapt to. Overall this is a great alternative to uTorrent to opt for in wnload NowAlso Read: 18 Best Duplicate Photo Finder & Cleaner Software In 20214. BitTorrentAnother great uTorrent alternative is BitTorrent. It is one of the oldest torrent clients on the list. The brand has also taken over uTorrent as its subsidiary brand in the past. The features and the interface have not changed after the launch, it is still the same. While there are some tools that are added to BitTorrent, the tools include the browser start alternative to uTorrent offers ads and spam offers which can be frustrating for the users while they download. But it can be changed as the torrent client is fully customizable. You can change the settings as per your needs and wnload Now5. DelugeDeluge is a uTorrent alternative that is based on the same BitTorrent source code. This is similar to BitTorrent and the older version of uTorrent. Though the interface is neat if we compare it to qBittorrent then you will find it a little messy. This client is completely free to use and the best part about this is that it doesn’t offer any kinds of malware, adware, or even ads in the main client has limited features to offer but you can use a plugin to solve the issues. You can simply download any plugin which you want and add extra functionality to the client. Some of the functions of this client include encryption, peer exchange, UPnP, speed limit, password protection, and bandwidth wnload NowAlso Read: 14 Best Free Duplicate File Finder & Remover For Windows6. TixatiThis torrent client is new and one of the best uTorrent alternatives that you can try. It is a free torrent client and is a closed source. The client has many options for both new as well as experienced users. Though the interface can be new as it is very different from the standard torrent information on the screen is shown in a neat and clean manner, even the client uses charts to display information that can be easy for the user to understand. You can join different channels using this client which already has seeders and peers to share files. Other than this you also get features like filters, DHT, torrent search, bandwidth control, and UPnP. If you are new to torrent clients then we would not recommend you to use this client as the interface can be complex for you to wnload Now7. TransmissionNext up in the list of best uTorrent alternatives is Transmission. If you are a Mac user or a Linux user then this is the right choice to make. You can also use this torrent client for Windows as a third-party download site. It is an open-source torrent client which can be used by anyone. The best part about this client is that it is free from crapware, ads, and other malicious ing about the features, Transmission offers webseed support, web interface, peer exchange, DHT, tracker editing, and speed control. It has a simple and clean interface that offers rich torrent clients on Linux and MacOSX wnload NowAlso Read: 13 Best Free File Managers For Windows 10 In 20218. TriblerFor all those who are looking for the best uTorrent alternative that offers a clean interface, this can be the end of your search as this torrent client has the cleanest interface by far. Other than just getting a clean interface you will get all the other tools that you would need to have an easy download from the speed of this alternative to uTorrent might be slower than the other torrent clients but if you have a good internet connection that offers high-speed internet then this problem can be wnload Now9. BoxopusBoxopus is another uTorrent alternative in this list that you can try. The availability in all major platforms makes it the all OS replacement of uTorrent. Unlike other torrent clients, this will save all you download directly onto your Dropbox. So if you are looking to save space on your PC then this alternative to uTorrent is the best option to only downside with this client is that sometimes users have experienced that Dropbox has banned the account of users. In such cases, users can send the files to Boxopus servers where they can download them Read: 17 Best Game Boosters and Optimizers for Windows PC in 202110. HaliteAnother great uTorrent alternative in the list is Halite. This is the best option available for Windows 10 users. This is a very lightweight and user- friendly torrent client, what else you want from a client. The interface is really simple and the best part about the interface is that it offers an ad-free experience. Other than this the client offers a great downloading speed so that the user won’t face any issue with the download. Overall Haliet is a great replacement for uTorrent that you can opt for and enjoy hassle-free downloads. 11. FrostwireThe last torrent client in our list of best uTorrent alternatives is Frostwire. This is a very lightweight and straightforward torrent client. It can be used by beginners as well. The client has many features that can help you in downloading files easily. The best part is that you would not witness ads while you use the client, unlike other torrent clients which keep on bombarding torrent client offers features like a built-in search engine, magnet links, media player, import files from iTunes, and many other features. You also get a lot of bandwidth management wnload NowChoose the Best uTorrent Alternatives 2021The list above has the best option that you can choose in place of uTorrent. All the torrent clients mentioned have some similarities and better offerings than uTorrent. We hope that you will find the ideal uTorrent alternative from the list. Tell us which torrent client did you pick as a replacement for uTorrent, write the name in the comment section below.
Is qBittorrent Safe to Use? qBittorrent Safety & Malware Tests 2021
Disclosure: Top10VPN is editorially independent. We may earn commissions if you buy a VPN through links on our VerdictBased on our testing, qBittorrent is totally safe, malware-free and legal to use. Unlike uTorrent, it comes without bloatware or adverts and it’s totally free and open-source. Overall, it’s the safest client for torrenting, especially when combined with a VPN. A torrent client is a vital piece of software for P2P file sharing. It communicates with other users and organizes your P2P traffic, which gives it the potential to make torrenting very safe or very risky.
qBittorrent is one of the two most popular torrent clients, alongside uTorrent. Unlike uTorrent, though, it’s free open-source software and totally ad-free. It’s also our preferred torrent client for testing torrenting VPNs. But is it safe?
Our research has shown qBittorrent is a very safe torrent client, especially in combination with a good VPN. Torrenting always comes with some risks, though, so make sure you know how to torrent safely before downloading anything.
EXPERT TIP: There are some dangerous Bittorrent download links around the web, and some websites will bundle adware or bloatware into their installers.
Even when this isn’t dangerous (it sometimes is), it’s annoying. To download qBittorrent safely, always get the software from the official qBittorrent fosshub page.
What’s in this guideIs the qBittorrent App Safe? qBittorrent vs uTorrentHow to Use qBittorrent SafelyIs qBittorrent Legal? Is the qBittorrent App Safe? (Tests & Results)qBittorrent has a reputation for being a safe, reliable application, and our research has confirmed this. In fact, qBittorrent is the safest torrent client available at the moment.
This doesn’t mean that it comes without some drawbacks, though. Here is a summary of the strengths and weaknesses of the client:
PROS
CONS
Open-source software
No bundled bloatware or malware
No adverts
Integrated proxy support
Advanced security settings
Active community
Your ip address can be exposed during torrenting
Torrents can contain malware
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of what makes qBittorrent safe to use:
1. Open-source software
qBittorrent is open-source, which means that anyone can inspect its source code for bugs or malicious content. As such a popular client, it really does get looked over again and again by programmers all over the world.
When bugs emerge they are fixed quickly, and if there were any significant vulnerabilities or malicious code they would have been identified.
2. No bundled bloatware or malware
As long as you download it from the official source, qBittorrent doesn’t come with any other bundled software.
This means you don’t have to worry about accidentally downloading annoying or even harmful programs and is a great start for building trust in the software.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case with some competing torrenting clients.
3. No Adverts
The client doesn’t have any ads, which obviously makes for a good user experience. But it also means that it is more secure and private, with no closed-source third-party code or ad trackers.
Fewer components in the client also leaves less opportunity for vulnerabilities or security issues.
4. Integrated proxy support
While we prefer VPNs, qBittorrent has in-client support for SOCKS5 proxies, which are a popular way to keep IP addresses from leaking during torrenting. A SOCKS5 proxy works similarly to a VPN to reroute your traffic and obscure your true IP address from other users.
The client also supports HTTP proxies but they are insecure and unreliable, and we don’t recommend using them.
5. Advanced security settings
qBittorrent includes advanced tools to help keep your true IP address from leaking with a VPN or proxy. The first is network interface filtering, which allows you to select a specific network adapter to torrent over. The second is IP binding, which allows you to select a single IP address for the client to torrent from.
If your proxy or VPN connection drops, these features will prevent the client from torrenting. We’ve tested these features and have found they are both effective ways to keep your ip address from leaking with a proxy or VPN.
6. Active community
qBittorrent is well supported and actively updated by a global group of volunteer developers, led by a contributor called Sledgehammer999. This means that any bugs can be identified and fixed quickly. On top of this, there are no known serious bugs or exploits associated with the app.
This also means that it is very easy to get help from other users on the qBittorrent forums if you ever encounter any issues with security or performance.
qBittorrent Vulnerabilities
However we’ve also found that qBittorrent has some vulnerabilities. Torrenting always comes with some risks, and qBittorrent doesn’t eliminate them:
1. Your IP address can be exposed during torrenting
When you torrent other users in the swarm can see your IP address. This can be targeted by copyright trolls and cause legal issues. On its own, qBittorrent does nothing to prevent your identity being exposed during torrenting.
For this reason it is important you always use a VPN or proxy when using qBittorrent.
2. Torrents can contain malware
One of the biggest risks of torrenting is that you might accidentally download malware. There is nothing in the qBittorrent software to prevent you from downloading or sharing a virus.
To minimise the risk of downloading malware, we recommend installing antivirus software, and only torrenting from trusted sources.
Advanced Features Test Results
qBittorrent comes with several advanced features which greatly improve the safety of your IP address while torrenting, most notably: network interface filtering and ip binding.
We’ve tested both these features to make sure they work as advertised and prevent the client from torrenting (and leaking your true IP) if your VPN connection cuts out.
Network Interface Filtering
First we tested network interface filtering with the following method:
We connected to a local VPN server
We selected the TAP adapter for our VPN in the network interface setting
Tools > Options > Advanced > Network Interface
We started torrenting our test file in qBittorrent
Once the torrent was in progress, we disconnected the VPN
After a few minutes we reconnected the VPN
Test result: Successful!
When we disconnected our VPN the download froze, and when we reconnected it the download resumed. This shows the function was worked as intended to prevent connections from outside the VPN.
IP Binding
Next we tested IP binding, following this method:
We selected our VPN’s IP address from the “Optional IP address to bind to” setting
Tools > Options > Advanced > Optional IP address to bind to
We started torrenting our test file
Test result: Mixed.
Disconnecting the VPN did cut out the torrent, but reconnecting didn’t start it again, as the VPN had given us a new IP address. So while this feature would work better with a proxy, or stationary IP, it is inconvenient for most VPNs.
Malware Test Results
In order to determine that qBittorrent is safe to download and use, we scanned the app with Malwarebytes.
Malwarebytes found qBittorrent to be 100% Malware free
The results were good: the antivirus software didn’t find any malware or signs of dangerous activity.
This is unsurprising. qBittorrent is a popular app and it would be known if it contained malware. The bigger risk is that torrent files you download could contain malware.
Because of this, we recommend you run antivirus software yourself while torrenting to make sure no torrent files you download are dangerous or include dangerous content.
Why Has My Antivirus Blocked qBittorrent?
It is possible that your antivirus software will flag qBittorrent itself as a potential issue. If this occurs, it is most likely that your client has connected to servers which are known to house malicious content.
This can happen because P2P file sharing involves connecting your client to lots of other peers. As long as the torrent file or magnet link you are using is trustworthy, though, it shouldn’t be an actual risk as the tracker co-ordinates the download between multiple peers.
As such, these alerts are generally false alarms, but they should be taken as a reminder to only download torrents from trustworthy sources.
qBittorrent allows you to filter out ip addresses associated with malware
Using the IP filter feature (found under Tools > Options > Connection) with an IP blacklist is a good way to mitigate the risk of downloading dangerous or unwanted files, and prevent these kinds of alerts from occurring.
Is qBittorrent Safer than uTorrent? Alongside qBittorrent, uTorrent is one of the most widely used torrent clients. We don’t recommend using it though.
By almost all criteria qBittorrent is a safer torrent client than uTorrent.
Here is a comparison of qBittorrent and uTorrent from the perspective of safety:
Advert Free
Open-Source
Bundled Bloatware
Support Forums
Proxy Support
IP Filtering
Port Forwarding
Platforms
qBittorrent
Yes
No
Windows, Mac, Linux
uTorrent
Windows, Mac, Linux, Andorid
Winner
Tie
Both clients come with lots of useful advanced features for protecting your anonymity, but uTorrent falls behind in three key areas.
On Windows, Mac and Android uTorrent is absolutely full of third-party adverts. These are intrusive and frustrating, as well as representing a potential privacy risk. By comparison, qBittorrent is totally ad-free.
uTorrent and qBittorrent side by side
uTorrent also comes bundled with bloatware, which you have to uninstall manually after download. When we tested uTorrent, it installed multiple applications onto out test laptop without our consent.
In the past, some of the bundled software has been considered dangerous malware (although as of October 2021 that isn’t the case).
Lastly, uTorrent isn’t open-source. Compared to qBittorrent, this means it lacks transparency, is less thoroughly tested by users, and is run to make a profit at the expense of its users.
Note: qBittorrent isn’t available on Android, so mobile users might want to consider using uTorrent instead.
uTorrent was once a very good piece of software, but has been let down by closed-source development, adware, and bugs. The only benefit of uTorrent is that you don’t need to download it off of a third-party website, but this isn’t an issue if you download qBittorrent from a reliable source.
There are holdouts who will insist on using old versions of uTorrent (2. 2. 1 and older), before the introduction of ads, but for up-to-date security we recommend sticking to the latest version of qBittorrent instead.
How to Use qBittorrent SafelyOur tests found qBittorrent is mostly safe, but we also found that it comes with two key dangers:
Exposing your IP address while torrenting
Accidentally torrenting malware or unwanted files
The two most important things you can do to make qBittorrent safer are to use a trustworthy VPN and run anti-virus software. It’s also important to configure your qBittorrent client correctly.
How to Configure qBittorrent for Safe Torrenting
Configuring qBittorrent is the simplest thing you can do to make it safer. Some small changes can mean the difference between accidentally giving your IP address away or not.
Enable “Check for program updates”. You can find this under Tools > Options > Behaviour. This prevents you from missing any vital security updates to the client.
Check “Enable anonymous mode”. This setting can be found under Tools > Options > BitTorrent > Privacy. It obscures meta-data about your client from other peers to maintain greater anonymity.
Disable “Start qBittorrent on Windows start up”, under Tools > Options > Behaviour > Desktop. This gives you the opportunity to properly start your VPN before the torrent client starts.
If you’re using a VPN, make sure either “Allow encryption” or “Require encryption” is selected under Tools > Options > qBitTorrent > Privacy.
For VPN users network interface filtering is a good way to back up your kill switch. Navigate to Tools > Options > Advanced > Network interface, then select the TAP adapter associated with your will restrict torrenting traffic to your VPN network adaptor and block torrents if the VPN disconnects.
Alternatively if you are running a proxy or VPN, you can activate IP binding. Navigate to Tools > Options > Advanced > Optional IP address to bind to, and select the IP address assigned to you by your VPN will act as a safeguard much like network interface filtering, but trigger unnecessarily if your VPN rotates between IP addresses.
Use Antivirus Software
One of the risks of qBittorrent is that you can accidentally download malware while torrenting. The best way to reduce this risk is to get a reliable and up-to-date antivirus program to detect any malware before you download it.
Thankfully, you don’t have to pay to get a good antivirus.
For Windows we recommend Microsoft Defender, Avira Free Antivirus or Malwarebytes.
For Mac users we recommend Malwarebytes.
For Android we recommend Malwarebytes or Sophos Intercept X.
It’s also important that you don’t run files if they aren’t what you expect, as they could be malware. For instance, if you think you are torrenting a film, but once downloaded it is an file, delete it without opening.
Use a VPN
The best way to protect your anonymity while torrenting is to use a safe torrenting VPN. At the bare minimum you need a VPN which won’t leak your IP address, includes a kill switch and allows P2P traffic on servers near to you.
There are free and premium VPNs that offer these features, but premium VPNs tend to perform better and free VPNs come with limiting data caps. Here are some VPNs we recommend for torrenting:
IPVanish – our number one choice for torrenting
Windscribe Free – the best free VPN for torrenting
AirVPN – highly configurable torrenting VPN for advanced users (allows port-forwarding)
Astrill – the fastest VPN for torrenting in our P2P benchmarking tests
You can find more detailed test results in our list of the best VPNs for torrenting.
Is It Safe to Use qBittorrent without a VPN?
A VPN isn’t the only way to protect your true IP address when using qBittorrent, but it is the safest. If you don’t want to use a VPN you can use a proxy service as an alternative, but you should never torrent without either.
Always connect to your VPN before torrenting
While proxies don’t generally come with kill switches, qBittorrent comes with two features that serve a similar function, network interface filtering and IP binding. These allow you to only torrent via one network adapter or IP address, and help to prevent IP leaks.
The biggest safety downside of a proxy compared to a VPN is that it doesn’t encrypt your traffic. This leaves you less secure than a VPN and allows both your ISP and network administrator to see that you are torrenting.
Is qBittorrent Legal? qBittorrent is a 100% legal piece of free and open-source software, available under a GNU General Public License. This means you can own, use, distribute, and even edit the software legally. (The only thing you can’t do is sell it! )
While using qBittorrent is totally legal, using it to break the law isn’t. For instance, downloading or sharing illegal or copyrighted material using qBittorrent is illegal.
Because torrenting requires both seeding (uploading) and leeching (downloading) it generally counts as sharing copyrighted material, rather than just downloading it. If you’re caught distributing copyrighted material you could potentially face large fines.
About the AuthorJP JonesEmailJP is our CTO. He has over 25 years of software engineering and networking experience, and oversees all technical aspects of our VPN testing process. Read full bio
Frequently Asked Questions about qbittorrent vs utorrent
What is better than uTorrent?
Top 11 uTorrent Alternatives to Try in 2021Bitport.io. While looking for the best uTorrent Alternatives we have found a great platform for you. … qBittorrent. This torrent client was ideally made as a replacement for uTorrent. … Vuze. … BitTorrent. … Deluge. … Tixati. … Transmission. … Tribler.More items…•Aug 24, 2021
Is qBittorrent safe to use?
We don’t recommend using it though. By almost all criteria qBittorrent is a safer torrent client than uTorrent. … On Windows, Mac and Android uTorrent is absolutely full of third-party adverts.Aug 4, 2021
Why is qBittorrent the best?
Since its release, qBittorrent has received numerous feedback and positive reviews as being reliable and very lightweight software. In addition, it is free, open-source, and packs most of the features found on BitTorrent.Aug 6, 2020
